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Configure your custom domain in Azure WebSites

Azure WebSites is probably one of the easiest ways to start deploying your solutions to the cloud. It allows you to create, deploy and scale any kind of website, whether it is created from one of the available templates (WordPress, Umbraco, Ghost…) or built from scratch using your favorite programming language (.NET, Python, Node.js, Java or PHP).

Once you create your own Azure Website, it will have a URL which follows the pattern http://[YourWebSite].azurewebsites.net. In order to point your own domain you have to follow some easy steps on the Domain Registrant portal and the Microsoft Azure Portal.

Disclaimer: Custom domains are available on web hosting plan modes shared, basic and standard, but not on free.

Once you have create the entry, and after the changes are propagated (remember that it can take up to 48 hours), you have to configure the details on the Azure Management Portal.

Log into the portal, select the websites option on the left menu and once you are there, select the option Manage Domains from the bottom bar.

This will open a new window where you will be able to verify the ownership of your domain and configure the rest of the details. To do it you just need to introduce the name of the domain.

As you can see in the screenshot above you have also the IP, which will allow you to configure the A record on the DNS. If you do it, remember to configure the A record after you have configured the CNAME and introduced your domain name in the Azure portal. It’s important to note that in the case you recreate the website or you change its region, the IP address might change so you will need to update the DNS A record accordingly.